Fruit-grader.



0. K. PORTER. FRUIT GRADER. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 16

U. K. PORTER.

FRUIT GRADER. APPLIGATION TILED MAR.16, 1912.

1,043,249. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

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" free ends of the springs might pass. It is to be observed that since the bags are split lengthwise one side of the bag is. capable of movement with respect to the other, the

material on one side of the split being secured to the support and that on-the other side being secured to and movable with the free end of the band spring. The extent to i which the band springs are permitted to open and thus the size of the spring outlets of the bags which they constitute is controlled by the gage rail 4 which is provided with cam sections 19 spaced from the supporting belt at successively greater distances from the head to the foot of the grader so that the spring outlets are automatically and successively enlarged as they pass over successive bins. This changing of the size of the bottom of the bags is attended with the formation of folds or wrinkles which should be kept outside the part of the bag secured to the belt so that the inside of the bag remains smooth. This is facilitated by locating the slit somewhat to one side of the point at which the fixedend of the band 16 and' the bag are fastened and by employing an elastic strip 20 made of webbing or other suitable materiahone end of which is secured to the free side of the slit as at 21 and the other end of which is secured. to the belt at 22. The work which this strip is called upon to do puts no great strain on it, the band spring 16 being the really active member 56 that it is found that the bags wear out as soon as the elastic strips.

Fruit is delivered to my grader by any suitable means as a feed chute made of canvas orcovered with lambs wool or other soft material if desired. I prefer to arrange this chute in the line of active travel of-the holders. V

As already-suggested, my grader while capable of general use is designed more especiallyv forhandling delicate fruits which must be protected from receiving" bruises. To this'end, I have provided an arrangement of individual fruit holders which permit the fruit to roll down an incline formed by a ,flexible bag and I havealso so constructed the bins as to provide inclines slanting forplane in which the fruitis fed and at the head end of the inlet openings slant toward the foot of the machine away from the belt and downward. It will be obvious that this arrangement enables the fruit to roll onto the bottoms i without dropping as soon as the proper biii is reached and to roll there from to the lower part of the bin which of any material distance might. cause a bruise. It ls obvious that while this feature of my invention is well adapted to holders of-therform "illustrated and when used with them produces a continuous rolling action, it

'is' widely applicable and may be employed with feedinganeans of various kinds or even where the fruit'is fed merely by gravity. In order to prevent possible injury to fruit which might have escaped partially from an outlet without having been completely released I inay'provide the sides of the bins at the foot ends of the inlet openings with lambs wool or other soft material 25 so that any fruit striking the same would merely be pushed back into the outlet with out being bruised.

The operation of my grader is asfollows: The belt 7 being driven in the direction indicated by the arrows, fruit is fedinto-the holding bags by the feed chute 23 and at such speed as to furnish a single piece of fruit to each holder. The fruit thus fed runs down the incline furnished 'by the bag to the spring outlet which has been closed up \by the end of the cam rail 4: as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 so that it rest-rains the fruit from passing out of the bag unless it be of the smallest size it is desired to grade. If

the fruit is too large to pass through the out let while the said outlet is over the first bin if of the text larger size to be graded, it

will pass through the outlet when this begins to travel over the next bin the camsecti'on 19 corresponding thereto being spaced farther from the supporting belt so as to permit the spring outlet to. enlarge. This successive enlargement due to the expansion of the spring and the increasing distance from the belt of the cam sections continues to take place until even a piece of fruit of the largest size dealt with is permitted to pass through into thelast bin after which the spring outl'ts freed from any restraint. by the cams expand completely and are carried around in this condition until the other ,end of thegage rail 4 is reached when they are again contracted the free ends of the band springs 16 passing underneath thedge of the belt as before.

In order to make the operation of my grader clearer, I have exaggerated considerably the relative size of the feeding iineans, although this exaggeration would not-,prevent the proper operation of the apparatus but would only mean anunnecessary'addttion to the cost of the machine.

rat

l ddl /"hat I claim as my invention is: l. A front grader comprising in combination a series of bins a plurality of individual fruit holding bags provided at their hottoms "ith variable outlets, means for moving said fruit holding bags over said bins and devices'for successively enlarging sai outlets as the fruit holding bags pass over successive bins.

2. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins, a plurality oi fruit holding bags provided at their bottoms With variable outlets, means for moving said fruit holding bags over said bins, said bags being inclined downward and forward, and devices for successively enlarging said outlets as the fruit holding bags pass over successive bins.

3. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins, a support, means for moving said support over said bins, a plurality of individual fruit holding bags of flexible material secured to said support having variable outlets and slit lengthwise the material a bag" at one side of the slit being" fastened to said support and the mate rial at the other side being yieldingly joined to said support by an elastic connection, and devices for successively enlarging said out lets the fruit holding bags pass over successive bins.

4-. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins, a plurality of individual :truit holding bags provided at their hottoms with variable outlets, a support for said bags, means for moving said support over said bins from the head toward the foot of the grader, said bags-being inclined downward and forward, a feed chute in substan tially the plane of the bags as they are moved forward over said bins by said support, and devices for successively enlarging said outlets as the fruit holding bags pass over successive bins.

5. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins arranged side by side and provided with alined inlet openings increasing successively in width from the head toward the foot of the grader, a plurality of individual fruit holders provided "with band spring outlets, means for moving said holders over said inlet openings from the head toward the foot of the grader, and a gage rail extending from the head toward the foot of the grader located adjacent the .path of said band spring outlets and having series of com sections cooperating with the band spring outlets to permit their successive enlargement as they pass over successive bins.

6. A fruit grader comprising in combina tion a series of bins arran ed side by side and provided with alined inlet openings in creasing successively inwidth from the head toward the foot of the grader, apluranty of individual fruit holders provided with spring outlets, means for moving said holders over said inlet openings from the head toward the foot of the grader, and an adjustable gage rail extending from the head said bags successively over said openings from the head toward the foot of the grader the said bags slanting downward and forward, and a series of cams located adjacent the path of the spring outlets of the bags, corresponding to successive bins. and permitting said outlets to open wider as they pass toward the foot of the grader. I

8. fruit grader comprising in combina tion a series of bins located side by side and provided with alined inlet openings increasing' successively in width "from the head to ward the foot of the grader, individual fruit holding bags provided at the bottom with spring outlets, means for moving the said bags successively over said openings from the head toward the foot of the grader the said bags slanting" downward and forward and having their spring outlets located in planes inclined to the horizontal, and a series f cams located adjacent the path of the spring outlets of the bags, corresponding to successive bins and permitting said outlets to open wider they pass toward the foot of the grader.

9. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins provided with alincd inlet openings increasing successively width from the head toward the toot of the :grader, a series of inoividual fruit holding bags of flexible material, means for moving said fI'lllL- holding bags successively over said openings from the head toward the foot of the grader. said bags being inclined downward and forward and being slit lengthwise and having their bottoms pro vided with band springs one end of which is free. and a series of cams located adja cent the path of said band springs "tor de terminiug their position and thereby also the size oi the opening in the bottom of each bag, said cams permitting said springs to open wider as successive bins toward the foot of the machine are reached.

10., A fruit grader comprising in combi nation a series of bins provided with alined inlet openings increasing successively in Lilli) said support fromgthe head toward the foot width from the head toward the foot of the.

grader, an upright support, means for moving said support from the head toward the foot of the grader, a series of' individual fruit holdings bags secured to said support and slantingcdownward and forward from the upper part to the lower part thereof,

' a-band spring secured to the bottom of each bag and having one end secured also to the support and the other free and passing behind the same, and a series of cams corresponding to the respective bins and located adjacent the pathin which the band springs move, said cams being spaced successively greater distances away from the "of the grader to permit said springs to open wider as successivebins nearer the foot of the machine are reached. 1 4

1 1.'A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins-provided with alined inlet openings increasing successively in 4 width from the head toward the foot of the grader, an upright support, means for moving said support from the head toward the foot of the grader, a series individual fruit holding bags secured to said support and slanting downward'and forward from the upper part to the lower part thereof a band spring secured to the :b'ottomggfi each he" hori-' bag, lying in a plane oblique toflt zontal, having one end secureds-also o" the support and the other free and=passing unthe machine are-'f reachedzg der thedoweredge thereofi l and awseries of camsgc'o'rresponding to @the respective bins and located adjacent the 'paflth} inrwhich the i band sprin s'inove, saidrcam's, being spaced '5 snccessiv g ater ,d1 stances away, fromthe an er ofthe grade 'togpernn't lsaid springs to open wideras succeesive-xb ns nearer. the foot of 12. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of'binsr providd'with alined inletopenings increasing j successively in width from. the headtoward the, foot of thegrader, an endless-upright support,

means for moving: it 'past' the' inlet openings to ,said bins frointhehead towardthe foot of the gre'demq'a series of individual .fruit holding bagsoltgfiexible nriateria'l having at their tops-a ifrigid band holdirlg said. tops distended, and secured to the support'said bags slanting downward andiforward being slit? lengthwise vand being provided I at their, bottomswith a band spring secured.

to the holdingtbag and-having one end seonred to said support'at one side of the slit and having'its'other end free and passing behind saidsupport and an elastic strip halving onej'endsecured at the other or free side of the slit'and having its other end secured to the'support.

13. A fruitgrader-comprising in combination a series of bins providcd'with alined head v toward the foot inlet openings increasing successively in width from the head toward the footvof the grader, an endless upright support,means for moving it past the inlet openings to said bins from the head toward the .foot of the bags of flexible material having at their tops a rigid band holding said tops distended, and secured to the support said bags slanting downward "and forward being slit lengthwise and being provided at-their botone end secured atjth p the slit-and h v'in' 't" endsecuredto grader, a series of individual fruit holding the suppo Mr-A radar oln'prising combination a 1ns,,an endless 'belthav ing fiightsl ted nyertical planesfmeans a a the of the grader, ilk holding-bags; supported by for drivin said beltand slanting dbwnward and forwardifrom'theupper part of said belt to the lower-'part, each o fsaid holding bags being sli't" longitudinally and having; at its lower end arband spring" located-in a'plane obli UG' tO. thefhorizontal, one end of said eltioverthe said bins from ban f spring bein g 's ecured to the belt and the otherend being free and passing under the lower edge thereof, an elastic strip se cured to, said belt and having its other end secured to the holding bag adjacent the side of the slit, and a gagerail located adjacent the path of movement of said band spring consisting of a series of sections spaced at from the head toward the foot of the machine and cotiperating with the band springsto determine the position thereof and thereby also the size of the opening in the bot-,- tomof'said holder.

15. A fruit grader comprising -m combination-a plurality of bins provided withalined inlet openings increasing successively in width from the head toward the foot of the grader, and means for feeding fruit over successively greater distances from the belt v said successive openings, said bins having,

their respective bottoms inclined forward anddownward as well as outward from sub I 129 of the cone" v stantially the --plane in which the fruit. is fed and fronr-the head end sponding inlet opening,

16. A- fruit grader comprisingiii combiw nation m series-0f bins locatedside by side and provided with-f alined inlet 5 opening'sf in-.1? creasing successively in; width from the head toward the foot of the grader, said bins having their "respective bottoms inf Filmed;forward and outward -as=lwelles1 downward from substantially 'the planeiin;

which the fruit is fed and from the head end of the corresponding inlet opening, the side of each bin adjacent the foot of its inlet be ing clothed With soft material.-

5 17. A fruit grader comprising in combination a series of bins located side by side and provlded with almed inlet openings 1ncreasing successively in width from the .head toward the foot of the graden a plu- 10 rality of individual fruit holders, means for 5 and a plurality' of inclines corresponding respectively to said bins and having their uppe ends located adjacent the pathiot said fruitholders for receiving the fruit as it is released by said holders and permitting it 20 to roll to the lower partof the bin without dropping.

18. A fruit grader comprlsing in combination a series of bins located side by side and provided With alined inlet openings in creasing in size successively from the head toward the foot of the grader a plurality of individual fruit holders, means for carrying said holders successively over said openings from the head toward the foot of the grader, spring outlets carried by said holders, and cams for controlling said outlets to permit the successive enlargement thereof to release the. fruit at the opening to the proper bin, each of said bins being provided with anincline slanting downward and forward from substantially the plane in which the bottoms of said individual fruit holders move and from the head end of the corresponding inlet opening to the lower part of the bin to permit the fruit to roll onto the same ivithout dropping.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

'onsoN K. PORTER.

Witnesses JOHN L. FLETCHER, lllanoaimr ll. )ILLER. 

